27 May, 2013: Stanley, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever which is a breed of dogs known to love water, instinctively pricks up his ears, sniffs the salty air and is very excited whenever he is nearing a beach. 

His owner Craig Haverstick states that this breed cannot do without water and adds that there are some great beaches for dogs. 

Only a small part of the U.S. coastline is demarcated as dog beaches. These beaches are loved and treasured by both the dogs and their owners. 

Lisa Porter, owner of a travel website listing beaches and parks where dogs can roam freely or on leash, says that beaches where dogs can roam free without being leashed are the best a dog could hope for. 

Each beach is attractive in its own way. San Diego has three beaches which permit dogs to be off-leash – Mission Bay’s Fiesta Island which is ideal for swimming, Dog Beach at Ocean Beach which lets dogs mingle among their own kind and Coronado’s Dog Beach which is just magical. 

Beaches offering full freedom to unleashed dogs are generally fenced off and have facilities for drinking water, showers, and bags to pick up the doggy mess and garbage bins. 

The paucity of dog beaches and parking spaces are the biggest problem for dog owners. 

Any proposed increase in dog beaches faces stiff resistance from critics who argue that allowing dogs to roam freely puts visitors and shore birds at risk, dirties both the sand and water with excrement and urine and generally ruins what would otherwise be a great day at the beach. 

Those in favor state that the beaches provide a suitable playground for their canines and can also be therapeutic, helping the dogs to calm down. 

Top dog beaches on the West Coast include Huntington Dog beach which is known for dog surfing, Oregon’s Cannon Beach, Rosie’s Dog Beach at Long Beach and Washington’s Double Bluff Beach located on Whidbey Island. 

On the West Coast beaches like Duck beach, Bonita Dog Park and Paw Park are recommended. These are located at Outer Banks, N.C., Bonita Springs, Fla., and South Brohard Beach, Fla., respectively. 

Some beaches including the Fisherman’s Cove Conservation Area situated in Manasquan, N.J., require the dog to be on a leash. 

Others like Santa Cruz County’s Live Oak Beach followed the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy till recently, effectively turning a blind eye to the issue. 

Both have now begun to ticket offenders. 

For Media Contact:
Lauren Schmitt
Mode Dog
Aliso Viejo, CA, USA
[email protected]
http://www.modedog.com